Custom-tailored, hand-sewn kilts in Scotland's Finest Tradition

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Busy, Busy

That’s it. I’ve managed to make it back from King of Prussia, PA in one piece, but now I really do have work to do. Predictably enough, all of the little girls and boys have grown, and need new kilts. I spent Monday calling and emailing my orders to Scotland. I need to sew every day for the forseeable future just to keep up. My book is out to 8-9 weeks for a kilt, and the situation is not being helped by the situation with the mail. Here’s what’s happening:

Following the problems with suspicious packages in December, some small packets (like the ones tartan comes in) are being shipped to the US by boat rather than air. There are also delays caused by weather on both sides of the Atlantic. I have been waiting for two weeks already for tartan that was shipped on January 18, and should have arrived by the 26th. What this means is that orders might be SLIGHTLY delayed. I try to allow enough lead time for the fabric, but you never know.

On a brighter note, D.C. Dalgliesh has been busy designing new tartans, and I got the latest from Tartantown, which includes lime green and orange tartan (with matching velvet!). The latest trends seem to be for brighter colors, although I’m not certain about the orange. Dalgiesh’s latest has a kind of avocado green in it (not lime), but I need to see that in person to make a decision.

Right now I am finishing a double-box pleated kilt for a customer– this SHOULD look great. All I have to do is to slip the lining into it, and sew on the buckles and straps. I also have a kilt for a dancer that is half pleated–I am working on getting that one EXACTLY to the measurements–if I’m 1/2 inch big, no one complains, but 1/2 inch small is a problem.

At the same time, school is busy with plans for the rest of the year. We have to have a certain percentage of our students perform at a proficient level on state tests, which is a challenge. I am planning remediation for my students based on how they performed on these tests, so I will have work for a while.